


Unexpected Revelations

by 88problems



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Antonia Stark - Freeform, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Oblivious Tony Stark, Protective Steve Rogers, Toni Stark - Freeform, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, inspired by earth 3490
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-08-09 20:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7815727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/88problems/pseuds/88problems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The four times Toni Stark accidentally revealed something about herself, and the one time Steve Rogers did so on purpose. Fem!Tony Stark (so technically an AU piece), Stony Pairing and lots of Domestic Avengers fluff. 4 - 1 writing trope. Warning: the rating may change in later chapters. Cross Posted on FanFiction.net under the same username.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Allergies

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This piece of fiction is based on characters that I do not own, but have become fascinated with over the last few months. Since seeing Civil War I have been craving Stony fluff and some Domestic Avengers action, which prompted me to write this. I do warn that I have written a Fem!Tony Stark so if that is not your cup of tea stop reading right now. But if you’re curious, continue on and enjoy!

“Peculiar I say, how so often the smallest, most seemingly insignificant details later unveil their faces as vital means for progression”  
-Criss Jami

 

Movie nights in Stark Tower, now known as the Avengers Tower, had begun slowly. Clint, initially, wanted to introduce Steve and Thor to films they had never seen, or in Thor’s case: film technology in general. It was in an effort to improve the pair's ability to understand the modern era and the many pop culture references espoused by the team. Bruce soon joined them, followed by Natasha, as curiosity eventually got the better of them. Bruce made excuses for team bonding while Natasha simply smiled, sharklike, and shrugged her slender shoulders.

Toni, naturally, was the last to know, having repeatedly sequestered herself in her lab after a series of particularly grueling missions with a faulty glove repulsor. The genius’ irritation at her inability to diagnose the faulty piece resulted in multiple prickly and snarky interactions between Toni and the team. With the exception of her ‘science-bro’, the rest of the Avengers considered her absence a momentary reprieve and neglected to mention the, now weekly, movie nights.

Until a theme night was proposed.

“What’s with the love in?” Toni asked from the hall, arms loosely crossed over her stomach, her quiet voice almost betraying the attempted nonchalance. The sunken lounge, which had become an instant favorite among the team for relaxing and television binge-watching, contained two plush couches, a love seat, and a well worn leather recliner. While Steve and Thor appeared content to sit on the cushy saxony carpet in front of the ninety inch screen; Natasha, Bruce, and Clint had claimed the remaining furniture. Her soft tone, while not quite startling them, managed to turn each head in her direction.

Toni had offered, or rather Fury had offered, the Tower to the team eight months prior and while she was still getting used to the whole ‘living-with-other-people-thing’ she had assumed that a tentative comradery had formed between them. Apparently she had assumed too much. Toni let bravado rule her features, a dark manicured eyebrow raised in a challenge, and speech, ignoring the small blossom of hurt in her chest. 

“Movie night,” Clint offered after a moment of heavy silence as Bruce and Thor exchanged regretful glances; Steve stared resolutely at the screen. Natasha stood from the couch she and Hawkeye were sharing and gracefully moved towards the genius, speaking as she went.

“Join us Stark. We’re watching Westerns tonight,” the assassin beckoned Toni to follow her to the adjoining communal kitchen where the smell of roasted meat and bbq sauce assaulted her nose.  
“Bruce whipped these up,” Widow continued, pointing to the pulled pork sandwiches, seemingly unaffected by the slight tension in Toni's shoulders, “ It’s something about eating proper ‘campfire cookout food’ to go with the movies? Grab a plate and come sit down”.

Before she could rattle off some excuse in order to retreat back to the safety of her lab Natasha had swept out of the room, leaving Toni in the empty kitchen.  
It had been awhile since she had ingested something more substantial than a granola bar and a cup of coffee. Five hours? No, she realized with a grimace as she caught sight of the clock on the stove, it had been ten hours; her stomach released an angry gurgle in a mutinous outburst that would put the Hulk to shame.

“Stark! You comin’ or what? I’m pressing play!” Clint’s voice rang out from the lounge, interrupting her hesitation. With one final huff Toni grabbed a can of soda from the fridge, snatched one of the sandwiches and made her way back to the group.

“What are we watchin’ Brucie Bear?”

The doctor rolled his eyes, smirking as Toni clambered over the side of the loveseat he had claimed for himself.  
“True Grit, the one that came out about two years ago,” he whispered after receiving a scathing shushing noise from the archer across the room. Toni simply stuck her tongue out and shifted her focus to eating the sandwich in her hands.

Two bites in and Toni couldn’t contain the small noise of contentment that escaped her; the pork was fantastic. It could have been her hunger painting rose coloured glasses over her eyes but this sandwich, and it was just a freakin’ sandwich, was figuratively melting in her mouth.

“Cook for me everyday,” she muttered around a mouthful of food. Bruce chuckled, keeping his eyes on the screen. “Seriously though, where did you learn to--”

“Toni. Everyone is trying to watch the movie, you can talk to Bruce after,” Steve grumbled, irritation punctuating each word, from his position on the floor next to Thor. His back remained resolutely turned to face the television, his shoulders squared into a harsh line. Toni bristled slightly before scoffing with a roll of her soft brown eyes.

“Oh? Everyone is watching the movie?” She trilled, voice cloying and sharp. “I thought we were--”  
“Toni let it go,” Bruce interjected, poking her arm to gain the genius’ attention, “Come on, you love the Coen brothers…”

Toni nearly growled in displeasure while taking another bite of her sandwich; Cap -- no Rogers -- had been rubbing her the wrong way for weeks now. Whether it was harping at her for disobeying an order on a mission, so what if she had tumbled into a wall - the civilians on the city bus all walked away unscathed, or lecturing her on poor eating habits, there was a reason she kept granola bars in her private lab, Steve Rogers was always on her ass.

Bruce, satisfied that the Iron Woman had calmed down enough to keep her comments to herself, eventually turned back to the screen, ignoring the obvious daggers she lobbed at the super-soldier with her glare.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Twenty minutes into the film, Toni started to cough.

Or rather, she began to clear her throat as inconspicuously as one could while in a room full people watching a movie. Great. The shitty cherry on top of the sundae that is this day, now I’m catching a cold, Toni internally groused, absentmindedly rubbing her itchy eyes. She coughed again, bending forward to remove the sweater she wore over her tanktop; it was far too hot in the lounge to be wearing so many layers.

Bruce, glanced over at his fidgety seatmate, eyebrow raised with an silent question as he caught her gaze. Toni shrugged, coughing again, frowning ever so slightly.

“Oh my god, drink your soda or something Stark! Are you going to keep coughing throughout the whole thing?” Clint squawked from the nearby couch, earning a few murmurs of agreement from the rest of the team.

“Yeah yeah,” Toni croaked, clearing her throat once more before raising the can of soda to her lips.

It was then that she began to feel the familiar flutter of panic.

Toni scrambled from the chair, slapping her chest and hacking in an attempt to clear the fluid from her throat, which had suddenly decided to shrink exponentially, spraying the floor and her shirt with soda. Bruce and Natasha jumped to their feet; both attempted to lead the gasping woman to the kitchen, alternating between slapping her back and asking what was wrong.

“I cann wawow...oh go...my pong i wewwing uh!” Toni spat with a wheeze.

“It’s anaphylaxis,” Bruce murmured calmly to Natasha, who nodded sharply.

“Toni,” Widow said calmly, placing both hands on the genius’ shoulders, “Stay calm and breath with me...Jarvis?”

“Madam suffers from a severe allergy to fish. There is an Epipen in the First Aid kit in her private lab,” The A.I stated with an imperceptible quiver of worry in his mechanical tones.

“On it, Steve!” Natasha barked from the edge of the kitchen, how Natasha had moved so fast was beyond Toni at this point as her vision had been compromised from the swelling. Suddenly the Captain appeared at her shoulder.

“Stay with her while we try to find the Epipen. Monitor her breathing got it?”

He nodded once and turned to his teammate who was now seated upon the granite countertop of the kitchen island. The stone was cool against her flushed and itchy skin, providing momentary relief.

“Hey Sta--Toni, how are you doing?”

Toni gurgled in response, her breaths coming in wet rasps.

“Okay, yeah, stupid question...just stay calm and breath with me, In...two….three….four and out….two...three...four, that’s it,” Rogers eyes shifted between the clock on the stove and Toni’s half swollen shut eyes, his brows creased in...something like worry? No exasperation, it must have been.

Thor and Clint had gathered in the kitchen as well, the latter glued to his phone searching for information on aftercare for anaphylaxis.

“It says she should still go to the hospital even after getting the shot, just in case” Clint muttered lowly, avoiding her irritated gaze.

“Bo obitaw!” She rasped, shaking her head for emphasis, whimpering as her throbbing head began protesting even more.

“What is happening to lady Stark, how can we cure her?” Thor asked, his voice grave with unease.

“It’s an allergic reaction, oh uh…,” Clint paused at the God’s perplexed expression, “Toni’s body is attacking itself because the immune system thinks she has eaten something toxic...or something” the archer said after a stilted pause; it wasn’t the best explanation but it would have to do until Bruce returned.

Steve, meanwhile, continued to speak to the genius in slow soothing tones, attempting to rid the internal panic from his voice. Toni felt herself relaxing despite the pressure on her throat and face; the restricted lung capacity from the Arc Reactor also didn’t help but there wasn’t much left to do now but wait for her valiant - cue the patented Stark eye roll - rescuers.

“Good, yes, good job Toni. Just keep breathing. I know it’s uncomfortable, but Nat and Bruce will be back right away, Jarvis?”

“Dr. Banner and Agent Romanoff are currently ascending from the lab with madam’s Epipen,” the A.I intoned; all three men released a small sigh of relief at the news.

A soft swish and clack of footfalls announced the pairs arrival; Thor and Clint swept to the side to allow them access to Toni, who was now almost entirely supported by Steve as she slumped against his chest.

“Okay, Steve sit her up. I need to inject this,” Bruce spoke brusquely, uncapping the pen with steady fingers. The super soldier complied, tilting the woman away from himself, placing one of his large hands on her back.

Toni braced herself, tensing slightly against the hands which began rubbing soothing circles on her back. Big damn hero, she tutted in her head. The Epipen sunk into the top of her jean clad thigh with a small pop.

“Epinephrine works relatively quickly so you should be able to speak and breath easier in a moment Toni,” Bruce announced loud enough for the whole team to hear, likely to keep Thor from grabbing Toni and whisking her off to Asgard the first chance he got in order to fix her himself.

Though the skin on her face and neck still felt taut and swollen, her tongue and throat began to shrink and loosen. She coughed slightly, testing her renewed airway with a surge of relief, and grinned, or rather attempted a grin with her puffy features.

“Scale...of one to ten,” she rasped, feeling the tension begin to bleed out of the room after the first syllable, “how crazy does my face look right now? Someone take a picture!”

“I’d give it an eight,” Clint quipped with a smirk that didn’t quite meet his eyes. No one moved to grab their phones, though; the rest of the team seemed to mirror the archer’s expression aside from Steve and Bruce.

“Toni...what the hell was that?”

“Well Brucie Bear, I would call that a serious allergic reaction to...something...that was pulled pork in that sandwich you made right? Not like some weird fish I’ve never heard of?” Toni asked, attempting to remove herself from the counter only to be held in place by Steve’s hands on her shoulder; what the hell was he still doing touching her?

“Did it not occur to you to inform the team or at least SHIELD of your, apparently, life threatening allergy?” Natasha barked as she moved to stand by Bruce; Thor and Clint remained still, though their smiles faded from view at her words.

Toni, now able to open her eyes wide enough to roll them, scoffed, “It occurred to me, yes. I simply decided not to”.

For a moment, all the Avengers could hear were the muffled words and musical score from the movie that had been left playing since Toni’s reaction. Palpable disbelief muddled with disappointment filled the room, leaving the air thick and heavy. She refused to lower her gaze from her team, though her thoughts were panicked and jumbled. They all knew now. Dammit. Just one more thing in a never ending list of problems and secrets for SHIELD to weasel out of her.

“Toni this is serious, you can’t jus--”

“Well I did, but now you all know so we can just move on okay? Yes I have an allergy to fish and yes, it is very severe. I have an Epipen and I will continue to stock them throughout the tower if that will make you all feel better. Are we done?”

Toni disentangled herself from Steve and jumped from the counter, ignoring the protests and urges to get secondary medical treatment from her team. It had already been an exhausting evening and it was only, quarter to nine? Holy hell, well she had hours ahead of her to focus on a project and lock down the lab. Hours to get Jarvis to monitor her physical status; she didn’t need to go to the hospital.

Toni was fine.

Absolutely fine.


	2. Panic Attacks and Nightmares

“If I maintain my silence about my secret it is my prisoner...if I let it slip from my tongue, I am ITS prisoner.”  
― Arthur Schopenhauer

 

 

* * *

 

 

“When I ordered the hit on you, I was worried that I was killing the golden goose,” Stane whispered softly, his large hand hovering over her Arc Reactor while the other cupped the back of her neck, as he lowered her towards the couch. “But you see, it was just fate that you survived it...you had one last golden egg to give”.

Toni tried to struggle, to move her frozen and heavy limbs out of her mentors grip.

What is happening? The room was pitched in black ink.

Why are you doing this? Stagnant air muffled shattered breaths.

How could you...after everything…  
Her mind urged her mouth to obey and scream the silent words, but they remained locked behind her wide and fearful eyes.

“You really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you?” he continued, ignorant to the hysteria building within his captive audience.  
“Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb,” Stane chuckled without mirth as a long device clicked and unfurled in his hands, it hovered for a moment before latching onto the reactor. The metal enclosed cavity in her chest pulsed more painfully now than she could ever previously remember.

There was a sharp yank.

Her paralyzed muscles shuddered involuntarily as her body gasped; the shrapnel snapped to life within her veins. Toni’s heart convulsed in a sickening staccato.

“Now what kind of world would it be if he was as selfish as you?”

Toni’s eyes teared in her efforts to get up, to escape, to grasp for purchase against the couch that kept her grounded. Her hands clutched at nothing; the world had dissolved into murky water that sheathed her in an icy gloom.

“I know all your secrets Toni,” Obadiah’s savage voice ripped through the roar of water next to her ear, “I’ve cracked you open. Do you hear me Toni!”

Hands joined the voice, grasping at her arms and shoulders. Forcing her under, shouting her name--

“Toni!”

She awoke gasping, greedily drinking in air through an open and crumpled mouth.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, just a nightmare. You’re safe Toni, you’re in Stark tower - in your workshop --”

“Bruce?” She croaked, her voice wet and shaken.

“Yeah...I came down to see you about some of the new equipment specs and Jarvis let me in...he said you had been in distress--”

“Well Jarvis exaggerates”.

“Toni…”

She bit her lip slightly, swallowing whatever excuse had been on the tip of her tongue. Bruce was standing beside the small cot she kept in the corner of her workshop, it was situated beside a humming mini fridge and knee high pantry. Toni tried -but rarely succeeded- to ensure each week that the shop had enough food and water just in case she locked herself down there with a project; all that usually populated the pantry, however, were dried blueberries and a variety of granola bars.

She wracked her brain trying to remember how she ended up down in her workshop and on the cot of all places; the last thing she remembered was being in the kitchen and--right, the kitchen...

“Okay yes…bad day. Bad dream. Not a big deal Brucie Bear,” she muttered, keeping her weary gaze on a fixed point behind the doctor’s shoulder. Toni didn’t want to, couldn't, see the concern in his eyes - this was already as awkward and vulnerable as she wanted to get - it would prompt the need for some sort of explanation.

“A bad day,” he repeated, voice soft, no trace of censure in his tone.

“Yeah...” Toni let the rest of her sentence decay in the air, there were simply no words to express exactly what had happened earlier and how she had, so very poorly, handled it.

Bruce nodded slowly, silently, before lowering himself onto the cot Toni still occupied. She stiffened slightly before leaning into his shoulder, letting him curl an arm gently around her.

Banner had just gotten back from his two day lecture series at the twenty-third Congress of the International Union for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology that had taken place in Argentina. The man was jet-lagged and probably itching to unpack his gear and copious new notes he had most assuredly gathered.

Instead the doctor had made his way to her floor; Bruce had no need of any equipment data from her lab, the man couldn’t fib to save his life.

Someone must have seen fit to inform him about what had happened earlier.

She realized, with a small start, that Bruce Banner had somehow become one of her closest friends, aside from Rhodey and Pepper, and she was alright with that? Huh, weird.

The pair remained silent, allowing Toni to pick herself back up from the panicked disarray Bruce had found her in.

Her heart rate began to calm.

Her breathing finally evened out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Mid morning sun spread out over the kitchen, painting the soft grey tile with a heated glow. Contrary to popular opinion, Toni Stark enjoyed neutral colours just as much as the ‘Hot-Rod Red’ of her suit. A palette of warm grey, creamy taupe, and something Pantone had labeled peppermint, which looked nothing like real peppermint leaves in Toni’s opinion, decorated the communal floors as well as her own personal floor. The colours were familiar, reminiscent of the mansion in which she grew up.

  
Aside from her shop, the kitchen was one of Toni’s favourite rooms; she had many pleasant memories associated with Edwin Jarvis and his wife Ana in the kitchen of her childhood home. Ana would sing to herself as she worked, unaware of the music she was making until someone would hum along with her. Edwin would often bring the budding genius along with him, at Howard’s request, to prevent the small child from being underfoot in her father's lab. Jarvis hummed and Ana sang and Toni frequently wished that her own parents could be more like them.

 

She scowled slightly at the thought.

 

Earlier that day Toni had made an effort to be social, more for the benefit of Bruce and Jarvis at first than her own, remaining in the kitchen, seated at the granite countertop with her tablet in hand, long after the breakfast plates and coffee mugs had been cleared away. She could have made other arguments as to the reason for her continued presence, one being that the good coffee-maker was in this room, and while they would be technically true, they weren’t enough to provide a proper explanation. Toni Stark had been genuinely craving human interaction after her self prescribed isolation from the team. So when Natasha and Clint attempted to pounce, on what they assumed to be an unsuspecting Iron Woman, the pair only received a bored bland look from Toni who continued to sip black coffee from her favourite red mug.

“Nat...Legolas?” she drawled, keeping her eyes trained on the tablet in her hands.

“Long time no see Stark,” Clint said smoothly, sidestepping the nickname she knew he secretly favoured. Aside from Bruce, Toni found that Clint Barton was the easiest person on the team to talk to; probably because he actively kept the conversation as shallow and sarcastic as possible, no deep end epiphanies to drown in. Clint had as much to hide as any of them really; it was safer for his family that way, she reckoned.

Natasha on the other hand, to put it delicately, scared the shit out of her.

Toni felt the other woman’s neutral gaze dissect and scrutinize her every action and word more times than she cared to think about. The pair of assassins had flanked the island, Clint situated on the left and Natasha on the right, but it was Widow she instinctively curled away from. Rationally Toni knew she could trust Natasha to save her life. Logically Toni understood that the agent harbored no ill will towards her. However all the reason in the world could not stop the unease that ripped through her when Natasha entered the room.

“I’ve been busy,” she smirked, using her index finger to scroll down the tablet page, “bigger fish to fry and all that. Well not fish mind you, but you guys know that now”. Toni flashed her million dollar press conference smile, earning an eye roll from Barton and the barest of grins from Romanoff.  
“Speaking of, I have gone ahead and thrown most of our condiments out until I can verify which ones might have minute traces of fish to avoid anymore worcestershire incidents”.

“Whatever floats your boat Stark, but that’s not why we came to talk,” the archer asserted, tilting his head slightly towards his companion; the action put Toni on edge, her earlier control of the conversation had disappeared.

“Oh come on, don’t make that face, it’s like the smallest request in the world--”

“You and I have different opinions on what small is,” she grumbled over Clint, turning her eyes back to the tablet. This wasn’t a request for a new weapon or armor upgrades, this felt...uncomfortable in a way Toni couldn’t quite put her finger on. If it was small, the archer wouldn’t have brought this woman along.

“We want to fill up the pool we found on the fourth floor”.

The world stopped.

At first Toni wasn’t sure if she heard him right. The fourth floor was locked by Jarvis and restricted only to her own key codes; how had it even been discovered?  
The pool; why--why on earth would it ever need to be filled with water again? It had been bone dry, drained on her request, four years prior. The fourth floor was to have remained a barren desert of parched aqua blue tile until she could decide what to do with the room. She had, evidently, forgotten. Her breathing hitched slightly at the thought.

Natasha’s clinical expression never wavered, though her slightly narrowed eyes remained anchored to Toni’s face. She searched for a crack.

A bubbling, sick, scalding fury overtook Toni like a wave.

She had not provided the team with an express order not to explore the different rooms of the tower upon their arrival, she wasn’t a beast from some long forgotten fairytale, technically the Avengers were free to do as they pleased in her home--their home.

She should have taken better precautions; it wasn’t necessarily Clint’s fault, though she hated the fact that he brought Natasha along simply because the woman was intimidating, Toni blamed herself more than anything.

“Why?” she asked, her voice cold...detached.

Clint looked to Natasha sharply before returning his gaze to Toni.

“Exercise, training really. Why go to the local gym when we can just use the pool in our own building right? Why’s it empty anyway?”

“It was a waste of water, I never used it,” Toni muttered in the same chilled tone. She took a measured breath in through her nose and held it between clenched teeth; nothing good would come from the erratic gasping her body demanded.

Movement in the corner of her vision arrested her attention; Rogers had somehow appeared in the kitchen and was now awkwardly watching the exchange. In any other situation Toni would have found the image of Captain America artlessly struggling to disappear without being noticed amusing, now however Toni found herself wishing the man had succeeded.

“We wanted to get your permission--”

“Oh that’s rich. Was that before you started sniffing around a restricted floor or after?” Toni hissed over Clint, lowering her trembling hands below the countertop; her tablet lay abandoned atop the immaculate surface.

“Stark, you never once stated that the fourth floor was restricted,” Romanoff interjected, her usually soft voice now barbed with unrestrained skepticism.

“The locked doors didn’t clue you in? What did you do, sneak in through the vents?”

Clint’s fumbling pause was enough of an answer for Toni who desperately wanted to disappear as much as Rogers; the Captain was now fiddling with the jug of milk he had been grabbing from the fridge when the row began.

“You’re being really selfish about this Stark”.

The words fell about Toni’s ears, coating her inside and out in a thick layer of ash, she couldn’t breathe for the burning cinders that took root in her chest. She hadn’t meant to flinch. Her body simply reacted--drawing itself away from the perceived threat before her mind could fully grasp what had actually been said and who had actually said it. She clutched one shaking hand in the fabric of her shirt.

She was in her kitchen.

Obadiah Stane was dead.

She was in her kitchen.

Her other hand brushed the Arc Reactor.

 

“You know what,” Toni eventually exhaled, “do what you want”.

“Toni, I didn’t mean--”

“Jarvis, unlock the fourth floor recreation center and inform Barton and Romanoff where the appropriate chemicals can be found for treating the water”. Toni slid off the stool she had been perched on, molten and unsteady on her feet.

“Stark, it was unintentional that we--”

“Don’t,” the Iron Woman snarled at Natasha, her shoulders suddenly rigid and taut with tension, “You do not tell me that anything you do, both of you, is without purpose Agent”.

The ring of a dismissal echoed in the air around them as Toni quickly swept out of the kitchen, her mug of coffee and tablet lay forgotten on the counter.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Toni practically sprinted in the direction of the elevator, finally succumbing to the heavy gasping breaths her body forced from her.

“Toni, I don’t think they meant anything by it,”

She froze, swallowing the sudden lump that obstructed her voice. So close, she has almost made it to the elevator; she could order Jarvis to cut the lights and make a break for it, it wasn’t like she hadn’t already made a scene.

“Are you alright?” Steve continued, moving closer to grasp her shoulder lightly.

Toni, finally--unwillingly, shattered.

“Go-go away, I-I can’t, I can’t--” she stuttered as her knees buckled underneath her.

Get up get up get up--what are you doing you can’t just collapse in front of everyone--you’re selfish and weak people will die because you can’t get up and be a proper Stark--they’re made of Iron--Starks don’t break but look at you burst at the seams you’re pathetic Toni--

“Hey hey hey, it’s alright,” Steve whispered softly, his blue eyes wide with concern, “breathe with me Toni, come on we’ve done this before remember? In...two...three...four, and out...that’s it”.

Her mind was a whirlwind of sound rushing across her ears as she crawled and clutched at foot holds that would appear and disappear without warning. Her lungs struggled to catch the air she rapidly inhaled; luckily the lack of oxygen made it difficult to spew the uncoordinated--yet scathing--words that festered in her mouth. She wanted to scream and spit venom at the man but could only manage a small warble.

 

“Can I move you? May I pick you up?” the Captain asked in a surprisingly small voice. He maintained one hand on her shoulder, the other remained in the air where she could see it. She shook her head violently and clutched at the reactor beneath her palms.

“Okay, okay Toni we can stay right here as long as you need”.

Steve slowly moved his arm around her shoulder, propping the Avenger up against his side. The Iron Woman let her eyes collapse shut as she muddled her way through the tempest in her mind; Toni anchored herself to the Captain's voice and allowed it to slowly pull her free.

The pair sat huddled together on the floor by the elevator, waiting out the storm.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheers everyone! Chapter Three should hopefully have more Steve and Toni interaction where they can actually speak to one another haha!


	3. Insomnia

“There are worse things than having behaved foolishly in public. There are worse things than these miniature betrayals, committed or endured or suspected; there are worse things than not being able to sleep for thinking about them. It is 5AM. All the worse things come stalking in and stand icily around the bed looking worse and worse and worse”.  
Fleur Adcock

 

* * *

 

 

“Toni when was the last time you slept?” Pepper’s voice broke the silence of the empty boardroom somewhere near her shoulder. It was crisp with a note of frigid disappointment; Toni hated that. The genius shifted her attention away from the New York skyline; rose-gold light spilled over the room, painting the normally mundane grey office a a fiery orange.

“Anyone ever tell you you look hot as hell in this light? Like, I’m crazy jealous over here-”

“Toni”.

The engineer huffed petulantly, her smirk cracked slightly.

“Come on Pep, you know me...there’s too much to do right now and not enough hours in the day,” the excuse was bitter on her tongue and more than a little lacklustre but her tired brain was sluggish in its attempts to connect words to her grinning mouth. Get your shit together Stark, she thought angrily.

“A load of bull Antonia,” Pepper sighed, not unkindly, as she collected the notes that were haphazardly scattered across the table; the chaotic spread of information made sense only to the genius as she had performed her piece for the board, glancing down periodically at the papers.

Toni’s grin failed for a moment before returning, laboured and brittle.

“Whatever you say Virginia,” she sneered, turning away fully in her chair, relishing the momentary stiffening of her chief executive’s reflection in the window. Toni wrapped herself in venom and spewed broken glass from her ruby painted lips.

Pepper’s postured remained rigid, her mouth set in a grim line, but her blue eyes were creased with worry. “You can still talk to me Tones,” she said finally, her words strained and soft, “about anything...you know that right?”

Silence reigned but for the rustle and slap of papers and the clack of Pepper’s heels as the redhead finally moved to slip from the room. Toni’s eyes moved from the receding image of Pepper before sliding to her own; she abruptly deflated.

“You fucker,” she hissed softly to the empty room.

 

* * *

 

 

Toni entered the elevator, rubbing her eyes as she did so. She had poured over the evening again and again as she made her way from Stark Industries back to the Avengers Tower, the genius had opted to walk regardless of the darkening sky and plummeting temperatures. Guilt seeped into her bones, deeper than the frigid november wind. She leaned against the elevator wall heavily.

When had she stopped talking to Pepper? Had it happened gradually, or sooner --more abruptly. When had she started pushing, aggressively shoving really, her friend of so many years away?

She shook slightly and wrapped her arms around herself; the gesture offered little in the way of warmth or comfort.

“Bring a jacket next time idiot,” she muttered faintly, blowing hot air into the hands she cupped around her mouth.

“Madam,” Jarvis spoke suddenly, startling her; Toni’s ears grew hot as she schooled her features into a more neutral expression.

“Yeah J?”

“Madam you’ve been in the lift for ten minutes...would you care to ascend to the common floor?”

Toni weighed her options; she really didn’t want to see anyone but, once again, only granola bars and dried blueberries awaited her in the lab. A small rumble from her stomach urged her to make a decision.

“Depends on who's upstairs J,” she mumbled with a small gravelly voice.

“All members of the Avengers are present on the communal floor. Ms. Romanoff and Doctor Banner are currently in the kitchen, the others are engaged in an electronic game tournament in the lounge. Shall I inform them of your arrival?”

She hesitated; her vacant stomach churned violently in vengeance as she had skipped lunch to prep for the board meeting with Pepper. Toni unsuccessfully stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes once more, fatigue had settled in her chest, curling up like a contented cat. She glanced at her wrist; Howard’s old rolex gleamed up at her.

It was quarter after seven.

Toni had been awake for over twenty seven hours now.

She could try and attempt some sleep in her lab, she thought judiciously, but that would only solve one problem, and realistically her pursuit for some respite from the insomnia that had taken hold of her had been fruitless...

“Madam?”

“May as well J,” she yawned in resignation.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“You look like hell,” Clint barked with a laugh upon catching sight of Toni’s shuffling form exiting the elevator. She glared without heat at the archer, rolling her eyes at the barb.  
Barton, Thor, and Steve were seated, or rather hovering and vibrating on the couch in front of the television. Their arms and shoulders pivoted from left to right as their avatars navigated the virtual space, fingers flicking and jerking the plastic joysticks.

“Glad I opted for wireless controllers the way you guys are playing,” she snickered after all three men jumped to their feet, a chorus of laughter and yelling ensued. A visual of Thor ripping the console from the wall in an explosion of drywall and paint chips played across her mind's eye, Toni smiled widely.

“We play with vigor and honour Lady Stark! My Ape Man shall vanquish the Red and Green Brothers, I will have all the stars!” Thor boomed jovially, turning his head slightly to catch her eye. She snorted at the God’s enthusiasm.

“How was the presentation?” Bruce called from the kitchen.

Toni’s shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly at the question; so much for a relaxing night.

 

“You’ll have to ask Pepper. She did most of the talking...I only had a small portion,” she said tonelessly, eyes trained on the colourful screen in the lounge. Steve’s head briefly turned in her direction.

“I spoke with Pepper already, I thought I would ask you”.

Bruce was picking, albeit with good intentions, prodding at the raw fissure of her shitty evening -- shitty week; she could see his expression from across the lounge, earnest and soft. Toni grimaced.

“How magnanimous of you,” she sneered lowly.

The only movement in the lounge came from the colourful bouncing avatars on the television; the men had frozen where they stood, rooted to the spot by the strange discussion happening in front of them.

Toni inhaled deeply through her nose.

She struggled to think rationally; Bruce wasn’t trying to attack her the way Natasha and Clint had the other day, but that didn’t stop the fact that the good doctor was airing out her problems in front of an audience. A captivated audience.

The engineer’s stomach cramped viciously, loudly, in protest of being ignored so close to the kitchen. Her gut didn’t care about the vocal obstacle by the counter the way Toni did; stupid body.

Bruce sighed heavily, his brow creased -- agitated.

“Pepper is worried about you--”

“Christ Bruce,” she hissed, one hand fisted in her hair while the other gesticulated wildly, “I just got home, can we wait on the heart to heart or were there more people you wanted to invite for courtside seats?”

Everyone was staring. The game was paused, a pleasant digital six note melody looped again to fill the otherwise hollow silence.

Bruce made to open his mouth but Toni beat him to it.

“I’m fine. Really. And, if you or Pepper have something to say to me, say it to my face. Pepper doesn’t need some Jolly Green Giant proxy pretending to care--”

Tony clapped her hand over her mouth, her brown eyes round with astonishment.

Shit.

Toni removed her hand, slowly, and opened her mouth as though she could catch and swallow the words again before they reached the doctor.

“I--Bruce--”

The doctor shook his head minutely, the soft beseeching gaze waning entirely, before he grasped a steaming mug from the counter he had been leaning on and walked out of the kitchen. Bruce didn’t look back.

A bereft hole exploded in Toni’s chest; her lungs hurt in a way that had nothing to do with the Arc Reactor.

You fucker, she thought for the second time that night.

Natasha moved from her position by the counter, opposite from where Bruce had been standing, into Toni’s field of vision. The engineer held her gaze, hiding behind a crumbling veneer of iron and spite.

“You’re an idiot Stark. Let's take a walk,” Widow said sharply, jerking her head towards the elevator.

Toni stood still for a moment before nodding and following the assassin; three pairs of eyes bored holes into the back of her charcoal blazer, she left without a backward glance.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The bitter wind bit into Toni’s uncovered legs and ears as she and Natasha moved across the communal balcony one floor above the kitchen and lounge. Twin plumes of crystallized breaths distorted the purple twilight surrounding the pair.

“You can’t sleep.”

Toni scowled at the matter-of-fact tone Widow had used, she cursed her decision to apply the lipstick rather than reach for the concealer before rushing out the door that morning; the bruised circles under her eyes mocked her now.

Natasha continued on.

“This has been a rough week for you Stark...it would not come as a surprise to anyone if sleep did not come easily-”

“Piss off Nat,” Toni growled, “I am not talking to you about this”.

Natasha was silent for a moment, her focus remained on the gloomy New York skyline.

“Myself...or Bruce or Pepper I heard”.

Toni’s jaw clicked as she ground her teeth together; her temper, torn and frayed, unraveled with each passing hour she remained awake. She inhaled deeply through her nose once more; the frigid air sunk its teeth into her sinus’, Toni winced.

Awake was better than the alternative, she reminded herself.

“I’ve gone longer without sleep,” the quiet words floated in front of her before dissipating.

Natasha hummed thoughtfully, “Not recently though,” she turned to face the Iron Woman, her normally impassive face softened for a moment.

“I must confess Stark, neither Clint nor myself knew what the consequences of our actions would be that day in the kitchen”.

Toni couldn’t help the snort that escaped her. She moved towards a small table and chair she had placed closer to the railing four months prior. Toni made to sit down but winced and stepped away as the chilled metal nipped at her hands and legs.

“Consequences...right. You had no idea why I wanted nothing to do with the pool? Am I to understand that one of the world's best spy’s had no idea? Bullshit,” her voice quavered slightly but she held Natasha’s gaze.

Widow nodded, gazing once more into the night.

“I saw what I wanted to see Stark,” the assassin said slowly, weighing the words on her tongue before releasing them, “And, to be fair, you made it very easy to misjudge you...you still do”.

Toni remained silent.

“Much of the information Shield had obtained about your kidnapping had been classified by the government due partly to your friend Colonel Rhodes intervention and your own stubborn unwillingness to undergo evaluation,” Widow’s tone became sharp with annoyance towards the end, whether it was for Toni or herself remained unclear.

Natasha breathed out a laugh, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly.

“But the fact remains: you are an incredibly difficult person to...understand, you, by no means, make it easy,” the redhead turned to Toni once again with the barest of grins in place of her normal neutral expression.

The words had been extended, like a hand offering unspoken amends and reconciliation. Toni briefly looked to the door of the tower and back to Natasha; there was nothing stopping her from simply walking away, but...

“Is this you apologizing? Because it’s terrible,” Toni mumbled in a breath she hadn't realized she’d been holding, her own mouth slowly relaxing into a small smile.

Natasha huffed; her shoulders shifted slightly, letting the tension bleed out of them.

“As though you’d accept one if I tried.”

Toni hummed and looked again towards the doors, the faint smile she’d been sustaining faltered once more, she owed Bruce a real conversation.

“Well I’m going to check on a certain doctor,” Natasha raised her hands at Toni’s flinch, “You two should speak tomorrow after you’ve both rested, or at least attempted it.”

The Iron Woman jerked her head, a parody of acknowledgement, and cracked the frozen knuckles on her left hand. Clouds of breath continued to billow and undulate as neither woman moved.

“There are leftovers downstairs, go eat something Stark,” Natasha said smoothly, after a beat of silence, as she swept towards the door. A muffled gurgle concurred with Widow, her stomach unpleasantly empty and vociferous.

“Finally an order I can get behind,” she grinned, following the assassin with a quick jog.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Toni removed the steaming plate of lasagna from the convection microwave mounted in the wall, relishing the aroma of garlic and tomato that blindsided her; she hissed as she grabbed the piping hot plate.

“Fricking frick,” the engineer spat, dropping the heaping dish on the counter, the clatter of porcelain shrill in the otherwise quiet kitchen.

She whirled around and nearly knocked the plate to the floor as a low voice spilled into the room.

“Hey I- I, uh, didn’t mean to startle you there...” Steve said apologetically, hands raised as though he were approaching a wildcat on the kitchen island rather than a teammate.

“You should wear a bell,” she tisked, one hand rubbing over the Arc Reactor, “some of us have heart conditions you know.”

Steve winced at that, his face clouding slightly, “I, um, I just wanted to see of you would join us for a movie in the lounge?” His left hand moved to scratch the side of his head, ruffling the dirty blond hair. He lowered the second hand to the counter, drumming a solid beat with his finger tips.

“You sure that’s wise Cap? I’m bound to cause some kind of scene halfway through, what with my track record this week,” she smiled wanly, her tone subdued, and collected her cooling plate once more.

“Well, we’ll just have to put on something outrageous and distracting, right up your alley.” Steve wheedled, cracking a high-beam smile. Blue eyes crinkled in the corners and Toni found herself grinning back, though not nearly to the same blinding wattage.

“Fine, but only if it’s raunchy and ridiculous too; Clint’s a hard one to entertain”.

Steve smirked, and moved to open the fridge; he grabbed four cans of soda before using his foot to nudge the door closed once more.

“Lead on then Toni.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I do not understand, these mortals in their flimsy garb would surely fail to protect their land properly! Chainmail merely on their crowns would do nothi--”

“Thor it’s a movie,” tittered Clint from the floor, throwing popcorn, that had somehow appeared halfway through the Paul Rudd marathon, at the god, “You can’t expect something with Seann William Scott to have any sort of believability.”

“You leave Scotty boy out of this, I loved American Pie,” Toni yawned from her nest of cushions and blankets on the couch she had claimed. She had burrowed herself in between Thor and Steve, relishing their natural space-heater-like proximity.

The genius snickered at Steve’s furrowed brow, “Okay Jarvis, add American Pie to the list for movie night, it is a must for Spa-a-a-ngles over here.”

Toni punctuated her words with a long yawn and a soft jab to Steve’s shoulder; if the Captain could have made a bigger show of rolling his eyes, Toni would have given him a medal, the little shit.

“And their shields! The size alone--”

The chorus of exasperated groans and shower of popcorn and crumpled napkins prompted the blond to raise his hands in surrender, finally falling silent --save a few sulky snorts throughout the rest of the film.

“Wait what did they say, I missed it?” Toni asked suddenly, rubbing the blur out of her eyes. The buzzing white noise in her ears receded slightly but the warm heady feeling in her tired limbs remained. She felt suspended, buoyant, and relaxed. More than she had felt in days.

“Who the hell is Marvin Hamlisch,” Steve said quietly near her ear.

“Some composer or something, why are you asking me?” Toni asked with a gaping yawn, her brown eyes drooping heavily.

The Captain chuckled lightly, “Uh no, that’s the line you missed...close your eyes Toni.”

She felt her face contort into a frowning pout, “No, no, I’m good I--”

“Uh huh, sure, you could just rest them for a second?”

Toni nodded, head lolling onto a sturdy shoulder, her eyes already closed. The shoulder shifted as a warm weight fell around her, pulling the engineer into a warm embrace.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie they are watching is Paul Rudd's Role Models (2008) 
> 
> Cheers everyone and as always please leave a comment to let me know how I'm doing!


	4. Purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your enduring patience everyone, school just kicked my ass and on top of that I’m tutoring, working part time, and planning a wedding. So...yeah things are a bit rough. (Plus this was about 2100 words longer that I had planned...whoops!)
> 
> Anyways here we go!

_ “There are two kinds of guilt: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.” _

_ -Sabaa Tahir _

 

 

* * *

 

 

Toni awoke slowly, gently rising to the surface of awareness,  while the heat and soft plush blankets around her legs tugged back toward the realm of dreams and rest.

 

Wait. Rest?

 

It was the longest she had actually slept, without nightmares, in days; she yawned dazedly as the clutches of lethargy began to release her. The engineer opened one brown eye and scrubbed the sleep and dried mascara from the other; she froze. Toni was still in the lounge,  squished in between Rogers and the god of Thunder. 

 

Pop cans, pop corn kernels, and napkins littered the coffee table and carpet, the only evidence that remained of their assault on Thor’s vexing colour commentary. Clint was draped over the loveseat, limbs akimbo, an upturned bowl of popcorn at his feet. 

 

“Can I get the time J?” Toni whispered from her nest; the temptation to simply curl back into the blankets and sleep away the afternoon danced along her fluttering eyelids.

 

“It is 9:20AM madam.”

 

Toni hummed and let her eyes close momentarily.

 

“Mmm, well start the coffee pot Jellybean, gotta get up sometime,”

 

“Of course madam.”

 

She turned slightly to her left; Steve was slumbering, deep breaths and soft snores escaped his slightly open mouth.

 

Toni felt the corner of her lips twitch and a plume of warmth engulfed her at the sight; Captain America snored, that would certainly be worth revisiting -blackmailing- later. She peered over her shoulder to steal a glance at Thor; the steady line of drool that made its way down his golden beard was nearly picture worthy, was there an Avengers Instagram she hadn’t been made aware of? Toni smirked at the thought.

 

“News, J?”

 

“No international or local incidences madam, though CNN has been circulating several troubling news reports concerning the latest redeployment,” Jarvis announced with the air of an afterthought. 

 

“Troubling?”

 

Jarvis was silent for a moment.

 

“Jarvis?” Toni shifted the blankets away and disentangled herself from Steve’s arm and Thor’s legs; the lack of response from her A.I ran a cold wet flicker of pinpricks across her spine. Toni shuddered and rolled her shoulders, a pop of cartilage creaked throughout the room as she raised herself to perch on the back of the couch.

 

“There have been reports of fatal incidences of friendly fire and military discharges in the last sixth months, specifically from the 3rd Brigade Mountain Team,” Jarvis revealed hesitantly; Toni frowned at the strange tone.

 

“Okay...you got me J, what’s with the creepy foreboding schtick, why does this warrant our attention?”

 

The large television screen before her flickered to life as Jarvis pulled up several segments of local news interviews and, from what she could tell, military data. A single picture of a young woman in a combat uniform, shoulders squared and dull grey eyes unsmiling, appeared last in the center. 

 

“Amanda Armstrong, age twenty-six, recently discharged from the 3rd Brigade Mountain Team for reasons unknown--”

 

“Or unreported,  _ that’s _ definitely not legal with all the paperwork that goes into even a  _ general  _ discharge…what's so special about Miss Armstrong?”

 

“Who’s Miss Armstrong?” a small voiced tumbled through the room; Toni swiveled in surprise only to slip from the back of the couch and onto the floor in an ungainly heap. 

 

Bruce muttered several curses under his breath as he rushed over to help the Iron Woman to her feet. Thor and Steve, awoken by the sudden commotion, leapt from the couch, battle ready and armed with pillows and remotes, hair mussed and faces creased from the press of upholstery. Clint remained on the loveseat but shifted into a sitting position, head cocked to the side, he grinned impishly. 

 

“Very graceful Stark,” Clint crowed as Toni tried to catch the breath that had been knocked from her chest while Bruce steadied her. Steve tossed his makeshift weapons back on the couch, his blue eyes followed her progress before glaring softly at the floor. 

 

Toni managed a small choked laugh, “Well grace is a tough one, I like to think I have a little grace--”

 

“You can’t have a little grace. You either have it or you don't!” the archer continued loftily; he ignored the confused looks from Thor while Steve turned to the screen that still displayed the information on the former soldier.

 

Bruce said nothing and moved towards the kitchen, suddenly leaving Toni with the memory of their last interaction the night before, the thought doused her with an unpleasant chill, she grimaced.

 

“Stuff it Seinfeld,” she muttered darkly and moved to follow Bruce.

 

“Toni, what is all this on the screen? Who is Amanda Armstrong?” Steve asked suddenly, his blank tone interrupted Toni’s reminiscence. With one last glance towards the kitchen Toni turned back to the lounge where Jarvis had already begun to debrief the others. 

 

“Amanda Armstrong, age twenty-six, recently discharged from the 3rd Brigade Mountain Team, originally stationed at Fort Drum located in Jefferson County...”

 

“That’s only five hours from here…” Steve murmured to himself, eyes focused solely on the screen, “What exactly has she done Jarvis?”

 

The A.I was silent for a moment before the television screen was replaced with a single image, or rather a video from CBS New York, time-stamped six months prior.

 

_ ‘Reports have surfaced today of strange activities occurring outside of Kandahar Afghanistan. Eye witness accounts from civilians reveal startling information about possible mutant presence in the united states infantry-’ _

 

The lounge erupted in several cries of disbelief.

 

“What the hell? Xavier is going to have kittens,” Clint whispered gobsmacked; Toni nodded mutely. Mutants in the army, as if they hadn’t already been surrounded by bad press from the hate mongers in congress, would just lead to a serious and negative reaction from the public especially if the words ‘friendly fire’ were circulated, fearful ignorance played the trump card every time.

 

Another video clip, this time from the NBC news team, began to play.

 

_‘An explosion nine miles outside of the Maywand District,_ _that killed two soldiers and three civilians, is currently being investigated in suspicion of negligent discharge. Sources say the cause of the explosion has yet to be determined; however, a suspect, whose name is being withheld until the investigation is closed, has been detained. The suspect is reported to be a member of the 3rd Brigade Mountain Team-’_

 

The news report cut to aerial footage above a small crater and the remains of two partially melted humvees.

 

_ ‘An investigation into the source of the explosion has yielded very little information for Military Police Corp officials. Provost Marshal General, Colleen McGuire, has released an official statement to the public.’ _

 

The Newscaster turned slightly towards a monitor that displayed rolling white text on a dark navy background. It promptly filled the entirety of the screen while the anchor read:

 

‘ _ There will be an ongoing inquiry into this violent incident and the perpetrators responsible. At this time we do have one suspect in military custody and are working diligently to ascertain the whereabouts of their accomplice. We are still waiting on the preliminary results of  the forensic analysis for the type of explosive used in this incident. I would personally like to thank all members of the army personnel involved for their continued participation and investigation into this matter.’ _

 

“Wait, let me get this straight,” Toni said slowly, her hand raised as though to halt the flow of information. “So this Armstrong woman is responsible for the explosion or...how did they make this connection? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that she was the suspect they were holding?”

 

Thor brought a large hand up to his face, his fingers stroked the space above his lip  before he sat upon the couch once more. His blue eyes flicked from Toni to the screen and back again. The slight crease between his eyes furrowed deeper.

 

“That is correct madam,” Jarvis conceded before displaying several military documents, all with multiple lines of text that were blacked out. Steve’s face folded into a grimace, Clint scoffed.

 

“Well what the fuck are we supposed to get out of these? There’s barely anything left,” the archer jeered from his seat, his earlier good humor gone as his fingers tapped an agitated rhythm into the armrest, “Where is Nat, she’s better with this stuff.”

 

“I would  _ also _ be happy to assist if that would please you master Barton,” the A.I replied, his digital tone slightly frosty at the sleight; Clint winced at the sound.

 

“Thank you Jarvis, that would be very helpful,” Steve said with forced cheer, ever the peacekeeper; Toni smiled in spite of herself.

“Well I don’t know about any of you but I am going to indulge my caffeine cravings, anyone else up for a java fix?” she announced with a small clap of her hands, she winced internally at the awkward action. 

 

Clint, with a short grunt of acknowledgement, waved her off while the others were still focused on the screen.

 

“Okay cool, keep going J, I’ll be back,” she hummed lightly, moving towards the kitchen once more.

Her brain whipped through the possibilities of Armstrong's situation at a mile a minute; how on earth has this twenty-six year old managed to set off a bomb that left no physical evidence at the scene? Or if it wasn’t a bomb what had the capability to melt two military grade humvee vehicles _ and  _ kill  _ five  _ people? 

 

More importantly, she thought with a scowl, how had this woman survived…

 

Toni looked up from the steaming cup that was placed at her elbow, lost in thought she had approached the kitchen island and taken a seat at one of the three stools, human autopilot was a beautiful thing, she grinned slightly at Bruce whose hands were still connected to the cup in question. 

 

He hesitated slightly, dark eyes flicked to the entryway of the kitchen and back to Toni before he sank into the stool beside her. 

 

A sharp twist took root in her chest, deeper than even the Arc Reactor sat, as adrenaline forced her heart to rush and bound, her body screamed while her panicked brain fought for control.

 

People fight, she told herself, people fight and they make up...you just have to try.

 

People also leave, a brittle voice dripped in her ear, people leave when it gets too difficult, but you already know that...

 

“I’m so sorry Bruce,” she whispered sharply, any louder and her voice would collapse completely, “I really didn’t mean--”

 

“Toni,” Bruce placed a warm open palm on her shoulder, “it’s okay, no really,” he ground out as she opened her mouth to protest.

 

“Nat and I talked last night and --yeah yeah don’t give me that face I’m being serious here, and I care about you too much to be angry over this,” Bruce said softly, his mouth quirked up in a small grin at the waggle of Toni’s eyebrows, grateful for the way the tension slowly began to seep out of her shoulders.

 

“I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard but I worry about you sometimes and...this hasn’t been a great week for you so yeah…” he caught her eye before continuing, “seriously...we’re okay Tones.”

 

She nodded and looked to the mug of coffee that sat on the counter between them; the liquid olive branch Bruce had extended smelled like heaven and Toni was extremely surprised, but very grateful for it.

 

“So Nat huh?” she mumbled after what felt like an age.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bruce scoffed as he raised his own mug to cover the slight blush that suffused his cheeks, Toni released an elegant snort. 

 

“Careful big green you know what they say about Black Widows,” she laughed as Bruce nearly pushed her off the stool, “oh I am wounded! You big bully.” 

 

She hopped off her perch to scamper out of reach; Bruce rolled his eyes and stood up as well before he swept around the island to the pantry.

 

“You go see if the others have finished with whatever Jarvis was presenting and I’m going to see if we have any pancake mix in here.” Bruce said.

 

“That’s dumb, I can ask him from here --oh you’re kicking me out of the kitchen, I see how it is, I can take a hint,” Toni huffed at the man who disappeared into the walk-in pantry, “ordered around in my own house, see if I ever design you those fancy stretchy Hulk pants now Banner!” 

 

“Hey, if Banner is getting fancy clothes I call dibs on new arrows,” Clint announced from the door as the trio of men meandered over the threshold of the kitchen, “and none of this boring aluminum bullshit, I’m talkin’ carbon fibre Stark!” The archer easily sidestepped Toni’s kick as he moved forward to claim her stool; he nimbly hooked his right foot around the one leg she left on the ground and swept it out from under her in retaliation. She squawked at the loss of balance, her arms flung out in an attempt to catch something to stop her descent. Toni hit the tile with a soft grunt. 

 

Thor laughed boisterously and thumped Clint on the back, “Most expertly done, I do enjoy a good bout of roughhousing in the morning!” 

 

“Speak for yourself,” Toni grumbled from her position on the floor; Steve moved towards her prone form and lowered a hand for her to take, “thanks soldier, at least somebody here likes me.”

 

Steve rolled his eyes, twin dots of colour rose along his cheekbones - _ that _ was...interesting, before he leveled a brilliant grin at the engineer. She took his hand and hoisted herself upwards, “Jarvis finished explaining the situation, we came to fill you in,” Steve announced as he used one hand on the small of her back to steady her.

 

“The sparknotes version at any rate, and hey!” Clint nodded to the redhead, who moved gracefully past the lot of them towards the coffee machine and collection of personalized mugs that sat beside it, who merely grunted in acknowledgement, “finally sleeping beauty graces us with her presence huh?”

 

Natasha glared over the rim of her mug at the archer; the pair continued to converse silently in glares and raised eyebrows before Clint’s eyes flicked to the open pantry where Bruce had just emerged triumphantly with a box of pancake mix and back to Natasha’s still shower damp hair. He snorted and raised his hands in a mock surrender before stealing a sip from Toni’s coffee  that she had left behind.

 

“Ugh birdbrain cooties, I need a new coffee” Toni jeered from her position beside Steve, who had neglected to remove his hand from the small of her back once he had helped her up; she followed Natasha, lamenting the warmth that radiated from the captain, and snatched a new cup for herself.

 

“So, catch us up Cap. Nat and I,” she gestured to the woman beside her with a jerk of her head, “need the highlights.”

 

A sudden piercing alarm blared through the kitchen; each Avenger’s head swiveled to Bruce who had turned on the griddle.

 

“That’s not me,” the doctor stuttered in dismay as he hurriedly switched off the appliance and ripped the cord from the outlet.

 

“Apologies Doctor Banner, but the Avengers presence is required in midtown, 9th Avenue to be specific,” Jarvis announced, much to the surprise of everyone, “the police require your assistance in apprehending a woman who they believe to be in possession of a weapon capable of leveling a building…her description matches that of Amanda Armstrong.”

 

“How do they know she possesses such a device?” Steve asked slowly, his face schooled into a frown.

 

“Because Captain, she’s already done it.”

  
  


 

* * *

 

 

“You and Thor should remain behind unless we call for backup...this is happening so close to Hell’s Kitchen and I don’t think folks would appreciate  _ more  _ wreckage than necessary. No offence guys,” Steve smiled wanly at Bruce as Clint and Natasha boarded the Quinjet. Toni stood beside Steve, armor ready, with her faceplate raised. 

 

“It’s fine Steve, Jarvis and I will take over the jet remotely once you’ve exited and transport it back to the tower...just in case we need to make a hasty trip over there,” the doctor said resolutely with a clap to Steve’s shoulder, “be safe guys,” he finished quietly, his eyes flicked once to Natasha’s retreating back and Toni’s knowing gaze before they returned to Steve’s tired face.

 

With that, Bruce turned to head back towards the elevator with Thor in tow.

“Toni, can I talk to you about something?” Steve asked quietly as she turned to head up the ramp and into the jet as well.

 

The engineer raised an eyebrow, “Uh...what about Spangles? I think there might be a time limit on this mini game you know?” 

 

Steve’s eyes narrowed in confusion before his face fell momentarily, an odd expression Toni couldn’t quite place. “Not that reference either? Never mind, just tell me after we get back Wonderboy,” she laughed lightly and tilted her head towards the bridge. Toni stepped forward as Steve reached out to catch her arm in a firm grip; she turned slightly, a question on her lips.

 

“What Steve?”

 

His mouth opened and closed slightly, as though the words needed to be parsed and sorted before they could be released. His blue eyes searched her face beseechingly. After a moment Steve sighed heavily and released her arm, “Nevermind, you’re right...we’ll talk after”.

 

Toni nodded mutely as Steve stepped past her and onto the jet; she couldn’t help the small bubble of worry that grew steadily in her chest that she had somehow missed something very important.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"I think I got a visual," Toni called out as the infrared  on her HUD pulled up a heat signature of a figure cutting its way through the dust and rubble of Midtown, Manhattan. 

 

"Wait for back up, Iron Woman we don't know for sure if she is unarmed yet, Hawkeye is on route," Steve said in a steely voice; Toni rolled her eyes.

 

"Yeah not like I'm in a powerful set of titanium-gold alloy armour right?" She muttered, "J, quick scan of Lone Wolf over there and see if it's a possible match for Armstrong...and possible concealed weapons," she added as an afterthought.

 

"Scanning," Jarvis answered dutifully within seconds. The dust from the air was removed from her visuals and the figure was pulled up for facial recognition. A cycle of photos moved alongside the image until it settled upon the Armstrong photo Jarvis had provided them with earlier; it was a match. 

 

"I cannot detect any weapons from this distance Madam," The A.I said with a slight grit of irritation, Toni grimaced.

 

“Get away!” the woman screamed from the street as Toni began her approach.

 

“Ms. Armstrong, I need you to stand down now--”

 

“Get out of here! I mean it...I can’t control this-I mi-I will hurt you!” Amanda hissed sharply, she tensed and slid one leg behind herself, clearly poised for a fight. 

 

“Can’t control what? Okay...okay...Amanda, mind if I call you Amanda?” Toni said slowly as she lowered her hands; the whine of her repulsors as they powered down cut through the sound of fire engines and the rumble of rubble as it settled.

 

"Stark! You have to be kidding me, don't you dare!" Clint hissed into the com. 

 

"Toni, keep your repulsors locked on Armstrong that is an order!" Steve barked, a hysterical note coloured his voice.

 

Toni twitched her head and muttered, more to herself than anything, "give me a goddamn second, I got this," before she turned off the com link altogether. 

 

Toni felt the suit lift away from the ground. Amanda’s hand had stretched out, the movements in sync with Toni’s unscheduled ‘flight.’ Her eyes widened a fraction and her heart thrummed erratically; Toni took a small breath in through her nose to steady herself. Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT. 

 

The news had one thing right, mutant presence in the military had not been exaggerated...

 

"Why should I listen to you?" Armstrong yelled, her grey eyes were wide and her arm outstretched. She mimed tightening her fingers around an invisible object and Toni heard the metal of her suit groan in protest, "Huh? Give me one good reason why I should trust you?"

 

Toni opened her mouth, willing something to come out that would reduce the pressure on her chest, her eyes darted to Amanda's twitching hand.

 

"Sometimes," she finally managed, "good people do bad things and they lose their way, but that doesn't make them a bad person...I have hurt a lot of people in my lifetime by continuing with weapons development and now...I work every damn day to try and atone for that...that is my purpose," She looked down at the arc reactor of her suit and back to Armstrong, "this is me trying not to waste my second chance...so...so who am I to take that away from anyone else?"

 

Amanda looked away for a moment, her face crumpled slightly but her shoulders and limbs remained frozen in a stiff line - unyielding. 

 

"Come on Amanda," Toni wheezed against the pressure of the invisible fingers holding her up, "there's still time to fix this...no one else has to get hurt..." The metal around the suits Arc reactor shrieked and whined as it began to buckle and bend; the light flickered slightly.

 

Amanda's arm shook.

 

"I-I can't...I can't...control it...I don't know what to do..."

 

"We can help you if you let us, I am in contact with a man named Charles Xavier, he helps people like you-"

 

Amanda scoffed suddenly, a sharp crack of air that twisted her features into a scowl, "freaks."

 

"No," Toni said after a moment, a bead of sweat rolled down her neck and into the undersuit, "Professor Xavier helps people that don't have anywhere else to go or anyone else to help them. People at the end of their rope Amanda...he can help you learn to control these powers."

 

Amanda shuddered for a moment, harsh breaths wracked her torso, and released the claw-like grasp she had retained over Toni's suit.

 

"That's it, that's great Amanda--"

 

The rest of her encouragement died on the genius' tongue as the telltale hiss of metal spinning through the air snapped both women to attention. Amanda darted forward, away from the instrument that flew towards her. 

 

The shield shot across Toni’s field of vision and slammed into the lamp post where Armstrong had stood mere moments before. Caught by surprise, the soldier released the strange hold she had maintained on the suit; Toni hollered for Jarvis to resume power to the thrusters as she careened to the pavement. Her right boot whined and clicked as Jarvis attempted to restore function to the ion thrusters in each boot; the left sputtered and pulsed for a moment before the light dimmed and flickered out. 

 

"God dammit Steve! God dammit!" Toni grunted as her feet connected with the street, her knees nearly buckled with the force of the impact. 

 

"Amanda stop!"

 

"I knew I couldn't trust you! I knew you were lying!" Came a voice, brittle in terror and hysteria, that ripped across the nearly demolished street. 

 

Steve, without his shield, had engaged the soldier in hand to hand while Natasha moved to flank the pair on the left side of the street in order to retrieve the vibranium weapon.

 

"Jarvis, we got enough power for the com still?" Toni barked at the A.I, her HUD flashed warnings as the life support system began to shut down.

 

“Technically yes but--”

 

“Patch me through J.”

 

“Madam I must insist--”

 

“Jarvis patch me through, now!” Toni growled insistently; the A.I was silent for a moment before the sounds of Steve, Clint, and Natasha’s yelling resumed in her ear. 

 

Natasha flung the shield away from her towards the captain who spun around to catch it deftly; he raised it above his head as a concrete slab exploded over him. 

 

“Watch it Cap, I have a limited amount of arrows in this quiver,” Clint grunted over the com; Toni could see him in the distance as he ran between overturned cars. More pieces of pavement, asphalt and glass rained from the sky as Armstrong, now floating twenty-five feet above their heads,  twisted and pinwheeled her arms to and fro to direct her aerial assault.  

 

“Where is Thor?! I thought we sent the call out for backup!” Natasha roared over the din. She ducked and rolled as a fire hydrant was hurled past her head.

 

“Everyone listen to me,” Toni snarled into the reactivated comlink, Jarvis nattered in her ear as the persistent warnings of power failure increased in their shrill rhythm, “Armstrong is a crazy powerful mutant and she needs to be subdued and brought in, she can’t control these powers!”

 

“Seems like she’s doing okay to me!” Clint jeered, now a few feet away from her own position, blood was streaked across his forehead from the gash above his eye.

 

“Shut it, we need to contact the X-Men now!” 

 

“There is no time, subdue and contain, that’s the mission. Hawkeye we need to get her on the ground,” Steve spat angrily, his back turned to Toni.

 

Clint nodded as he strung a Sonic Arrow onto his bow; Toni recognized the design as one of her own, primarily used to stun and concuss enemy combatants, but from this distance the blast wouldn’t be enough to knock her unconscious, especially considering how powerful this mutant was. He needed to be closer...or the target did.

“J, contact the X-Men up in Westchester, explain the situation. We need them in here like yesterday!” she muttered under her stuttering breath, “we got anymore juice in this badboy? I need to get up there.”

 

“...thirty percent madam,” Jarvis hesitated grimly, she could hear the crackle and ping of her thrusters coming to life beneath her.

 

“Gotta run before we can walk, let’s ride!” she cried out with a sudden blast from the propulsion system that shot her through the air in a rapid spiral of red and gold.

 

Distantly, she heard the team through the com in an attempt to order her back to the ground; the armor clinked and groaned as Toni sped through the air towards Armstrong who now faced a second shaking building.

 

“Clint! When I say now, hit her with that stupid Sonic Arrow!”

 

“But--”

 

“Just do it!”

 

At the height they were currently flying at, she calculated quickly, a fall to the pavement would only aid in their effort to knock Armstrong unconscious rather than do any permanent damage to the powerful mutant. With a final boost of speed Toni seized the soldier by the shoulders, Armstrong shouted in surprise at the sudden presence, and hurtled her body down towards the archer.

 

“Now, now, now!” Toni screamed as she blasted her Sonic repulsors at the back of the falling mutant; Clint released the arrow which caught Armstrong square in the chest.

 

The concussive force rotated Armstrong's body to face Toni once more; the Iron Woman delivered another shot from both hand repulsors as the soldier rushed towards the ground. 

 

“Sorry Amanda, lights out,” she whooped as the soldier hit the pavement; Natasha raced towards Armstrong’s prone body and carefully placed two fingers against her neck to feel for a pulse. She nodded once to Steve and blew out a sigh of relief as she sat down amidst the rubble. 

 

Toni’s laughed, slightly hysterically as the adrenalin began to wear off, but paused as Jarvis’s natterings became full blown panicked orders.

 

“Flight systems are shutting down! Life support is offline! Madam I suggest attempting to descend immediately! I repeat, immediately!”

 

“Shit, shit, shit!” she gasped in terror as her repulsors faltered, the clicks and whirrs of her struggling armor ceased.

 

Toni began to plummet, the extra one hundred and fifty pounds of the suit -practically immovable with the support systems disabled- drove it faster and faster towards the pavement which rushed up to meet her.

 

“Toni!” a chorus of voices echoed over the comlink as the red and gold figure smashed into the sidewalk before she slid five feet and into the side of the Paradigm Cafe. 

 

The HUD flickered, her entire suit flashed red as Jarvis anxiously repeated the damage taken by the suit and her own physical injuries while the A.I intermittently addressed her dazed form.

 

“Open the faceplate!”

 

“Don’t move her neck!”

 

“God dammit Steve get a grip!”

 

“Toni, Toni?!”

  
  
  


Darkness encroached on her blurring vision and she knew no more. 

 

 


End file.
